Habibganj Train Station Named After Gond Queen, But Her Fort Is In Ruins

Habibganj railway station in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal has been renamed after Gond Queen Rani Kamlapati, whose kingdom was usurped by Afghan commander Dost Mohammed by deceit.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the people of Madhya Pradesh are thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for renaming Habibganj railway station after Rani Kamlapati, the Gond queen of Bhopal.

But Ginnorgarh Fort, which is about 61 km from Bhopal, remains in a dilapidated condition.

Ginnorgarh fort was under the stronghold of the Gonds, but later it fell to Dost Mohammad, the then ruler of Bhopal state. After Nizam Shah was poisoned by his nephew, the chief of Chainpur Bari, his widow Rani Kamlapati and her son took refuge in the fort and sought protection from Dost Muhammad Khan.

After Rani Kamlapati's death in 1723, her son Nawal Shah took charge of the fort but Dost Muhammad Khan attacked it and took over.

The fort is said to be at a height of 1,965 feet above sea level, which was built by the kings of Parmar dynasty. Later, it became the capital of the Shah Dynasty.

The fort where the laughter of seven queens used to resonate some 800 years ago is now deserted and dilapidated. The fort is on a hill in the Vindhya mountain ranges and is still visited by tourists.

Historians are say it is very interesting that despite being built at such a height, there are 25 wells and four small ponds around this fort, which are filled with water all the time. There are black and green stones scattered on the hill, which were used to build the fort. Beneath the fort is a centuries-old cave, which deepens the mystery of its construction.

But, despite being a protected monument under the Madhya Pradesh archaeology and museums department, the structures continue to decline there was no effort to preserve this fort. There was also no attempt to develop it for tourism. No special arrangements have been made so far for the security of this fort too.